The uncertainty didn’t last much longer though. She heard Russ take a deep breath beside her, and then, he spoke again.
“Do I still need to take you out to dinner before kissing you again, or can I kiss you now if I swear that I’ll take you out as soon as we’re back in Torch Lake?”
Mandy grinned in the darkness. “You can kiss me now, as long as you promise it’ll be a really, really good dinner.”
Russ laughed. “Oh, it will be. I’m a millionaire now, you know. I can take you to the fanciest place you want. Heck, we can even fly to Paris and have dinner by the Eiffel Tower if that’s what you want.”
Mandy’s eyes widened. “Wow. I guess you are a millionaire now. You certainly fulfilled your job requirement of killing a dark monster.”
“I did. At least a dozen times over. But I don’t want to talk about dark monsters right now. I want to kiss you. Was that a yes?”
“Yes.”
Mandy couldn’t hold back the trembling anymore as she felt him shift in the bed, leaning toward her. The exhaustion she’d been feeling was gone in an instant. Her whole body felt like it was filled with a strange, tingling energy, and she couldn’t help but moan softly as Russ’s lips met hers. She knew that she should have asked questions first. She should have demanded to know whether he would stay in Torch Lake. She should have warned him that there was no way she was moving to Chicago. They had so many things to sort through before allowing themselves to give in to the passion filling both of their hearts.
But that was the funny thing about hearts. A heart never cared how much your logical, sensible brain screamed at you to stop. When a heart wanted something, the details didn’t matter. And right now, Mandy’s heart wanted Russ. In fact, her heart had never wanted anything else so badly. She shut down her mind, and let her emotions take over. If this night was all she ever had with Russ, then she wanted to enjoy it fully. God, she hoped this night was not the only one she had. But she would worry about that later.
Russ’s lips felt warm and heavenly on her own. He pressed them softly against hers while he reached up to trace the side of her face with his fingers. His movements were slow, and deliberate. And they left a trail of fire on her skin wherever he touched her.
Her heart pounded so fiercely that she felt like her whole body was pulsing to its rhythm. She felt warm and protected, like she had never before known what home felt like. Home was in Russ’s arms. His strong, dragon arms that wrapped around her now.
He slipped his tongue past her lips and let it dance with her tongue. Even his tongue left traces of fire, and she felt like her whole body was burning now, heat emanating out from his kiss into every fiber of her being. Any worries she had felt over whether being with Russ was a smart thing to do had faded away. How could this be wrong, when she felt so amazing?
Russ took his time kissing her. He ran his fingers through her hair and pressed his body against hers as he explored every last centimeter of her mouth. He ran his tongue across her teeth, her cheeks, and the roof of her mouth, and she closed her eyes so she could concentrate fully on the wonderful warmth that filled her.
She could feel that warmth centering itself between her legs now. Her whole body tingled with anticipation, begging for more of Russ. She could feel herself growing wet between her legs as the desire for him became stronger with each passing minute. She knew he felt the same. He made no effort to hide his long, stiff erection. He pressed his body harder against hers, so that she could clearly feel him between the fabric of their cheap, clearance rack pajamas. And still, he took his time. There was no rush now, here in this room. There was nothing to worry about except each other.
Russ slowly moved his mouth away from Mandy’s then reached to pull her shirt up and over her head. His already bare chest now pressed up against hers, and she felt a fresh wave of tingles spread through her body. The tingling only grew more intense as he dipped his mouth to her nipples, flicking his tongue across them gently at first, then harder. He slowly ramped up the intensity, until finally, he switched from his tongue to his teeth. The sharpness of his bite thrilled her, and she bit her own lips to hold back a moan as he bit her nipples, finding the perfect amount of pressure to drive her wild without truly causing pain.
She was dripping wet between her legs now, and she could already feel a dull, throbbing heat filling her stomach. Her desire for Russ had completely taken over her body. She felt powerless to resist, but then, why would she want to resist? Why would she ever want anything other than this glorious moment right here?
“Mandy,” Russ breathed out. The huskiness in his voice thrilled her. She opened her eyes, even though it was too dark in the room to see him properly.
“Mandy, I asked for a kiss,” he said. “I don’t want to keep going further unless—”
“More,” she said, interrupting him. “Please, Russ, more. As much as you want to give.”
She heard him exhale, a sound of relief.
“I want to give you everything,” he said. And then, he was reaching for her pajama shorts, pulling them off along with her underwear, which was now soaking wet with the juices of her desire. She felt the bed bouncing slightly as he tugged at his own pants, then tossed them aside. The trembling in her body was uncontrollable now. As he slid over her, the nakedness of his body against hers was almost too much to bear. Heat filled her, and seemed to radiate off her skin. The throbbing in her core intensified, and she let out a small whimper. How could she already feel so much ecstasy, when he wasn’t even inside her yet? Mandy had never known passion like this before.
She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt his erection poking at the slick, wet warmth of her entrance. He paused for just a moment, giving her a last chance to stop him if this wasn’t what she wanted. He was a perfect gentleman, but stopping him was the last thing she wanted to do right now. She wanted all of him, every last bit.
“More,” she panted.
He obliged. He slid into her, and she gasped as he filled her. She had known, from the way he felt between their clothes as they kissed, that he was large. But nothing had prepared her for just how large. He pushed against her inner walls, making room for himself as he thrust deeper and deeper into her. When he was fully in, his hipbones pressed against hers so that he had gone as far as he physically could, he paused. He held himself there, very still, for several long moments.
“I just want to feel you,” he said in a husky whisper. “God, you feel so amazing. I just want to feel this warmth forever.”
Mandy wasn’t going to complain. She felt complete with him inside of her, filling her in a way she had never been filled before. Her heart felt at peace. Her body trembled with heat and desire. Her core throbbed around Russ’s erection deep within her, and she knew she was on the very edge of tumbling into complete release. The pressure building within her was reaching a breaking point, and she had never been so ready to break.
“More,” she whispered again. And again, he obliged.
He began to rock his hips back and forth. He moved slowly at first, and the gentle rubbing inside of her kindled the flames within. It didn’t take long, though, for him to speed up, thrusting faster and harder as they both panted with wonder. The heat between them had become an inferno, and Mandy barely had time to cry out Russ’s name before her release overcame her.
She arched her back and pushed her hips up against his, unable to bear the intensity of the moment but at the same time wanting more. Her whole body pulsed with a vengeance, squeezing itself tightly around Russ’s erection inside of her. The heat in her stomach was more intense than any she had ever felt, and she thought her blood might literally have reached boiling point. She supposed that making love to a dragon had that side effect.
Russ himself was close to the edge as well. She felt his thrusting speeding up, and his panting breath growing rapider. He moaned, and then roared. And then, he stiffened and gave one last, giant thrust, pulsing into her as they succumbed to the fire together.
For a long time, neither one of them moved or spoke. They lay there, connected in body and spirit, until the heat had finally subsided into a warm glow. Russ rolled over to lie beside her, draping his arms around her shoulder as he did.
“Mandy,” he said, his voice filled with wonder as he spoke her name. She said nothing, only snuggled up against his chest and closed her eyes, basking in the aftershocks of pleasure until she finally drifted off into dreams.
She wasn’t sure how long she’d been sleeping when her dreams were suddenly interrupted. She sat up, instantly awake, as the sound of her emergency radio squawking filled the room. Bleary-eyed, she groped in the dark at the nightstand until her hand closed over the radio. Moments later, the room flooded with light as Russ sat up and turned on the lamp.
“Mandy! Russ! Do you copy?” Jake’s voice came warbling through the radio.
“Yes, we’re here,” Mandy said.
“Good news. We got to him before he could get away. That asshole is in custody in Torch Lake’s highest security jail.”
Mandy looked over at Russ and grinned. “I’d say on the whole, this has been a pretty damn good night.”
In response, Russ leaned in and kissed her deeply, his tongue delving into her mouth. Mandy giggled, but the sound was muffled by Russ’s mouth up against hers. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeper still, and she willingly let herself melt into his arms.
She barely even heard the radio anymore, and it’s annoying, squawking voice that drifted up around them.
“Mandy? Russ? Anyone there?”
Chapter Eighteen
Russ tugged at his suit jacket, wishing that someone would turn on the air conditioner. The hearing room was crowded, with every seat taken and all of the spaces between the seats and the walls crammed with people who stood, craning their necks for a better look at the High Council and the man standing in chains in the front of the room. It wouldn’t be accurate to say that this was a standing room only crowd. There wasn’t even any standing room left. Everyone who could squeeze themselves into this room had done so, eager to catch a glimpse of the Commander who had, shockingly, dared to dabble in dark magic.
“Commander Hawkins, you have heard all of the testimony against you. Is there anything else you wish to say in your defense, or any other witnesses you wish to call, before the High Council passes its judgment?”
The room seemed to collectively hold its breath as Commander Hawkins looked up at the High Council. High Council Member Oscar Ceyus had been chosen to preside over this trial, and now Councilor Ceyus looked down at Commander Hawkins with an iron gaze. Russ glanced to his right, where Mandy sat. She was too intent on watching Commander Hawkins to notice Russ’s gaze. He bit his lip to hold back a smile. She was always beautiful, but even more so now, when she was concentrating so earnestly. Her brow was furrowed in a slight, worried expression, but he knew she wasn’t really worried. Neither were Jake, Clint, or Leif, who sat in the seats beyond Mandy’s. The evidence against Commander Hawkins was damning and irrefutable. The Commander had not brought any witnesses forward. It seemed that even his usual cronies wanted to distance themselves from him now. No one wanted to be associated with dark magic. Not after the awful war the wizard and shifter communities had come through just a few short years ago.
“I’ve been framed!” Commander Hawkins blurted out suddenly, startling Russ’s attention back to the front of the room. “Someone planted all of that evidence to make me look guilty. It was probably that bitch Mandy Evans. She’s had it out for me for quite some time. You saw how she came in here and told all those lies about how I had made up orders for her.”
“Commander Hawkins, you will please refrain from using profanity in our courtroom,” Councilor Ceyus said. “Now, is that all you have to say in defense of yourself?”
“It’s all I need to say,” Commander Hawkins said with a sneer. “Any fool can see that I’m not guilty.”
Russ heard a few titters of laughter rippling across the room behind him. Commander Hawkins himself must know that any fool could see that he was guilty. But still, the man stubbornly refused to confess. Councilor Ceyus seemed resigned to this fact by now, and let out a small sigh.
“Very well, Commander Hawkins. The High Council will now retire to chambers to deliberate. Everyone please remain here while we make a decision on this case. If it takes us longer than one hour to come to a conclusion, we will let you know. In that case, you will all be dismissed and we will reconvene tomorrow.”
Russ turned to Mandy as the High Council retreated from the room. “How long do you think it will take them to decide this case?” he asked.
She chuckled. “Not as long as it took them to decide the last one, that’s for sure.”
Russ chuckled as well. The last time he’d been in this courtroom and heard the High Council announce it was ready to deliberate, he had been a bundle of nerves. He hadn’t known whether the testimony on Mandy’s behalf had been enough to help her win her case. But none of that mattered now. Commander Hawkins had bigger problems than just Mandy Evans, and the chances of his walking out of here today as a free man were absolute zero.
The High Council didn’t waste time on their deliberations. Less than ten minutes later, they were back in the room, announcing they had come to a decision. Russ reached for Mandy’s hand and held it tightly. He knew this was an important moment for her. She had suffered a lot at the hands of Commander Hawkins, and seeing him finally pay for that suffering was salve in the emotional wounds she had suffered.
The onlookers in the room once again fell completely silent as Councilor Ceyus cleared his throat, and then began pronouncing their official judgment on Commander Hawkins.
“We, the High Council of Torch Lake, find Commander Alexander Hawkins guilty of the use of dark magic, of the attempted concealment of dark magic usage, of influencing others to use dark magic, and of falsifying High Council orders to influence his subordinates to take actions detrimental to the city of Torch Lake.”
A murmur went up from the crowd, and Russ felt Mandy squeeze his hand tighter. He turned to her and smiled, their eyes meeting in triumph. Neither one of them said anything, but Russ knew they were both silently rejoicing in the fact that Commander Hawkins had also finally, officially, been condemned for giving Mandy false orders before her dragon recovery trip to Chicago.
For once, Commander Hawkins had nothing to say. As he stood before the High Council, hearing the judgment against him, Russ thought he detected a bit of trembling in the man’s leg. And it was hard to tell from such an awkward, sideways angle, but Commander Hawkins’ face also appeared to be turning a pale white.
“These offenses are considered high treason, both to the city of Torch Lake, and to the community of wizards and shifters as a whole,” Councilor Ceyus continued. “They are punishable by life in prison or death.”
Another murmur went through the crowd. Were they all about to hear the formerly glorified Commander sentenced to death? Russ sat on the edge of his seat, interested to hear how the High Council would handle this situation. As far as he knew, this was the first time since the war that someone had been convicted of the use of dark magic. How they punished Commander Hawkins would send a message to the rest of the wizard and shifter communities, and surely the High Council knew that it was important to show everyone that they would not tolerate the use of dark magic in the slightest.
“You are hereby stripped of your Commander title, and are dismissed from your position at the Dragon Recovery Division. You are sentenced to life in prison, without parole, and will be compelled to hard labor in the service of Torch Lake.”
“You can’t make me work!” the former Commander Hawkins yelled out. “You have no right to force anyone into labor! That’s slavery.”
Councilor Ceyus looked down at Hawkins in disdain. “No one will force you to work, if you wish not to. However, if you would rather repay your debt to society by choosing to be executed, the High Council will honor tha
t wish. We see an offer of life in prison with hard labor as an act of mercy, considering your crimes. We are not always in the habit of being merciful, however, we think it is important that the world know that the High Council is not vengeful. We do not make decisions based solely on weak concepts such as ‘getting even,’ but we do want our citizens to know there will be lifelong consequences if they choose to dabble in dark magic.”
Hawkins did not seem impressed by this speech. He started screaming obscenities at Councilor Ceyus, who sighed and signaled to the guards to take the screaming man from the room. Murmurs once again rose from the crowd, as everyone realized that the great Commander Hawkins had just lost everything. Councilor Ceyus hushed everyone with a few bangs of his gavel, though, and called for order.
“Tomorrow, the High Council will be announcing an opening for a Head Commander position in the Dragon Recovery Division. Anyone who supported Commander Hawkins in his scheme to give false orders to dragon recovery agents is disqualified, but otherwise, the position is open to anyone who is a citizen of Torch Lake. We hope some of you, who have worked so hard to uphold the integrity of our great city, will consider applying.
The High Council member looked directly at Mandy as he said this, and Russ felt her tense up. He knew she didn’t enjoy the spotlight, but he also thought she would be perfect for the job. He would have told her as much, too, except that he realized that a position as a Commander in Torch Lake would definitely prevent her from moving back to Chicago with him. Russ felt a pang of worried sadness as this thought crossed his mind, and that sadness only increased when he looked beyond Mandy to Jake, Leif, and Clint, who were grinning from ear to ear like kids on Christmas morning.
Everyone was happy, and celebrating, but Russ suddenly felt like an outsider. This was not his town, and these were not his victories to celebrate. Of course, he had been inextricably part of the situation that had brought Commander Hawkins down. It had been his life on the line when Commander Hawkins sent his dark wizards to attack, after all. But he had been only a cog in a system—a cog that could have been replaced by any old dragon shifter. He didn’t truly belong here.
Dragon Returning (Torch Lake Shifters Book 1) Page 17